Large pieces of fabric attached to a boat or ship that catch wind and push the vessel forward; or the act of traveling by water in a sailing vessel.
From Old English 'segl' and Old Norse 'segl,' both meaning 'cloth' or 'sheet.' The technology evolved from simple woven materials in ancient times to sophisticated sail designs that enabled global exploration during the Age of Sail.
A single sail configuration can mean the difference between a ship traveling 5 mph versus 15 mph—sailors learned through trial and error that triangle-shaped sails (invented in the Indian Ocean around 100 AD) go upwind better than square sails, revolutionizing navigation centuries before physics could explain why.
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